The present invention relates generally to therapeutic methods and materials useful in selectively providing desirable hemodynamic effects in animals, including humans. More specifically the invention relates to administration of fluids containing relatively small amounts of certain selected polysaccharide materials to the blood of a patient for the purpose of enhancing cardiac output without substantially increasing blood volume or generating inotropic, chronotropic or vasoactive effects.
The prior art is profuse with proposals of methods and materials for developing curative, ameliorative and prophylactic effects respecting circulatory system disorders of widely differing etiology. Clearly of interest with respect to the background of the present invention are the art's many proposals for restoring and/or enhancing cardiac output to healthy and failing hearts upon the occurrence of underperfusion of vital tissue as in traumatic and functional hypovolemia, syncope and cardiogenic shock. A separate body of information has been developed relating to ameliorative and/or prophylactic treatment of atherosclerotic disorders. Of particular interest to the background of the invention are prior proposals for treating and preventing atherosclerosis by administration of substances suspected of having beneficial rheological effects on circulatory fluids.